America's Cup set to hit Asia as Japan ends 165-year wait

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

SoftBank Team Japan will get the opportunity to race on home waters after organizers confirmed that Fukuoka will host a two-day World Series event on November 18, 2016.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

SoftBank Team Japan – The new syndicate is backed by telecommunications and internet multinational SoftBank Group, whose founder Masayoshi Son is worth a reported $11.2 billion despite losing several times that amount in the dotcom crash of 2000.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

SoftBank Team Japan – Dean Barker, Team New Zealand's skipper in the 2007 and 2013 final defeats, is tasked with leading Japan's bid for a first title.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

SoftBank Team Japan – Barker will be supported by general manager Kazuhiko Sofuku. The 49-year-old is taking part in his fourth America's Cup, having made his debut in 1995 as bowman on Nippon Challenge.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

SoftBank Team Japan – Representing Kansai Yacht Club, this is the first Japanese-flagged entrant since 1999.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Oracle Team USA – Formed in 2000, the American team is seeking to win its third successive America's Cup, having triumphed in 2010 and 2013.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Oracle Team USA – Backed by billionaire Larry Ellison, CEO of software company Oracle, the team lost in the final of the 2003 Louis Vuitton Challenger series, and then in the semis four years later.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Oracle Team USA – Australian skipper Jimmy Spithill helped Oracle become the first U.S. winner since 1992, as challenger in 2010, then backed that up with an extraordinary rally from 8-1 down to defeat Team New Zealand as defending champion three years later.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Emirates Team New Zealand – The Kiwi syndicate was America's Cup champion in 1995 and 2000, but lost to Swiss entrant Alinghi in the 2003 and 2007 finals.

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Emirates Team New Zealand – Backed by Emirates airline and the New Zealand government, the team is led by Grant Dalton -- a former ocean racer who joined following 2003's defeat on the home waters of Auckland.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Emirates Team New Zealand – Glenn Ashby has taken over as skipper for this campaign. The Australian is a multiple world champion in multihull classes who had previously been a member of the Oracle team.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Team Land Rover BAR Britain – Despite its long history in sailing's premier competition -- which dates back to 1851 -- the UK is still seeking its first title.

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Team Land Rover BAR Britain – Ben Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor with four gold medals, has taken a step up to lead his own team following his role as replacement tactician with Oracle in 2013.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Team Land Rover BAR Britain – Ainslie's team has had support from the British government and the royal family -- including Prince William (R) and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Groupama Team France – Despite its success in other top sailing events, France has never won the America's Cup.

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Groupama Team France – Skipper Franck Cammas, 43, has won some of sailing's most prestigious competitions, including the Volvo Ocean Race, the Transat Jacques Vabre and Route du Rhum.

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Groupama Team France – Cammas has been backed since 1998 by French insurance multinational Groupama, whose director general Thierry Martel is pictured.

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Team Artemis Racing Sweden – The Swedish syndicate took part in the 2013 Louis Vuitton Challenger series, losing in the semifinals. British crew member Andrew Simpson earlier died during a training accident in one of the 72-foot vessels being used for the 34th edition of the America's Cup.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Team Artemis Racing Sweden – Named after the ancient Greek goddess Artemis, the team was formed in 2006 by Swedish billionaire Torbjorn Tornqvist, co-founder of Gunvor Group -- one of the world's largest commodities conglomerates.

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Photos:Key players ahead of Bermuda 2017

Team Artemis Racing Sweden – Its Australian skipper Nathan Outteridge (pictured) was a gold medalist at London 2012, while team manager/tactician Iain Percy is a two-time Olympic champion for Britain who made his America's Cup debut in 2005.

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Story highlights

Japan to host America's Cup series

Two-day event in Fukuoka in November

Japan has first team since 1999

(CNN)The America's Cup is coming to Asia -- for the first time in its 165-year history.

It was announced Thursday that Fukuoka, Japan, will welcome the World Series on November 18, with organizers hoping the two-day event will lure a brand new audience to the sport.

The series allows teams to pick up qualifying points ahead of next year's Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger races in Bermuda, from which the winner takes on defending champion Oracle Team USA in the battle for the America's Cup.

"This is an incredible opportunity to showcase this compelling sport to new audiences, not only in Japan but across all of Asia," said Russell Coutts, CEO of the 35th America's Cup and and a five-time winner of sailing's premier competition.

With Japan to host the 2020 Olympics, Fukuoka will have the chance to show it can stage big sailing events.

"Fukuoka is aiming to be a leading city in Asia, so being able to host the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Japan for the first time is truly wonderful," the city's mayor Soichiro Takashima said.

The series started in 2015, and next week goes to Chicago before visiting Portsmouth in the UK in July, Toulon in France in September, and then Fukuoka.